


Misconceptions

by GoodVun12



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adventure, Dipper - Freeform, F/M, Gravity Falls - Freeform, Love, Pacifica - Freeform, Romance, Science Fiction, dipcifia, dipperpines - Freeform, dippica - Freeform, northwest - Freeform, pacificanorthwest - Freeform, pines - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 17:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16223759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodVun12/pseuds/GoodVun12
Summary: Dipper and Pacifica never meant to fall for each other, they didn't even know they liked each other until the night of the Northwest's haunting. People change, and sometimes, it can lead to better things.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Leaving Town

"I can't believe we're leaving" Dipper said, staring out of the bus window and watching the pine trees rush by, "This summer has been the most amazing time of our lives Mabel. Adventure, friendship, mystery, magic! Could you have ever imagined?". Dipper turned to see his sister's reaction, but was greeted with Mabel fast asleep, cuddling Waddles and drooling onto her shoulder. "Gross" Dipper said with a chuckle. Dipper stared out of the window again. He didn't want to go back to Piedmont. He didn't have many friends there, it wasn't easy living in the shadow of Mabel. She was enthusiastic and bubbly and everyone liked her. Dipper just tagged along, never knowing if people liked him for him or because he was Mabel's brother.

Dipper sighed. He was going to miss Gravity Falls, and all the true friends he made there. Suddenly, Dipper remembered the letter that Wendy had given him before leaving. "I miss them too much, I need to read it already" thought Dipper. He tore at the envelope and found a folded piece of paper inside. Dipper opened it up to reveal 'See you next summer' surrounded by the signatures of all of his friends. Simultaneously, his heart both soared and sank. Dipper was overjoyed at the thoughtfulness of his friends, but it hit Dipper even harder that he would be alone until next Summer. Tears started to fall down his cheeks. "Damn it" he said, trying to fight the heartbreak. Through blurry eyes, Dipper noticed a phone number on the bottom of the letter, seeming to not belong to any particular name. Out of curiosity, Dipper took out his phone and dialled the number.

"Hello?" a familiar voice said.  
"Pacifica? Hi, it's Dipper. Your number was on the letter I have, but there was no name" said Dipper, a slight crack in his voice making it apparent he was upset.  
"You got my number then? Pacifica said, sounding relieved, "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing, why do you ask?" Dipper replied, trying to act like everything was fine.  
"Dipper, believe me, I can tell when someone has been crying"  
Dipper had to admit he was surprised that Pacifica has noticed. He knew that they were friends now but still thought of her as too stuck up to notice anyone else's feelings.  
"I just miss you" he said.  
"Wha-? Y-you miss me?" Pacifica said, clearly shocked.  
"Ha don't flatter yourself, I mean all of you. You, Stan, Wendy, everyone! Gravity Falls feels like where I belong" Dipper said, slightly embarrassed for the slip of the tongue.  
"Oh" Pacifica laughed, "for a minute there you were going to have to pay me not to pretend that never happened".  
They both laughed.  
"Dipper, technically you are still in Gravity Falls. I can see your bus from my room. I'm waving right now, not that you can see".  
Pacifica could see the bus from out of the window. It was hurtling towards the town borders, soon Dipper would have left town.  
"Tell you what Dipper, I'll stay on the phone until you leave town. That way you'll have a friend with you until the end".  
Dipper smiled.  
"Okay, that sounds like just what I need"

Dipper and Pacifica chatted for a while. They talked about things from the haunting at Northwest Mansion, to Weirdmageddon, to favourite foods. Sadly, Dipper interrupted.  
"Hey, just so you know I'm about to pass the 'leaving gravity falls sign' and after that I'm probably going to disappear into the trees. You won't be able to see the bus anymore."  
"That's okay" Pacifica said, "I guess this is goodbye then"  
"For now" said Dipper, a smile invading his face. He felt his face get a little warmer.  
"For now" Pacifica agreed. Her heart raced a little. "What is this?" She thought.  
"Well this is it, talk to you later?" Dipper said with a little hope in his voice.  
"Definitely" she replied. The call ended and Pacifica watched through the window as the bus disappears into the trees. She felt a wave of sadness come over her but she couldn't explain why. Of course her friend had left town until next summer but that wasn't what this was, was it?

Pacifica sat on her four poster bed and sighed. She dropped her phone next to her and threw herself back, contemplating why she felt the way she did.

A buzz filled the air.  
"Hmm?"  
Pacifica reaches for her phone to see she had received a message from Dipper. The message read:  
"Hey it's Dipper (again). I could use a friend all the way to Piedmont if you are up for it?"

Pacifica's face grew a broad smile. Of course she was up for it.

 

————————————————————  
Hey so this is my first Gravity Falls fan fiction. Inspired by recently rewatching the series and getting excited over my favourite ship, Dipcifica. Anyway, I plan to upload at least weekly (sometimes every couple days). The first couple chapters are ready to go, keep your eyes open. Please read and review, leave feedback, etc.


	2. Chapter 2 - Piedmont, CA

Dipper's school year flew by.

 

He wasn't stressed out by schoolwork, he was actually pretty good in school. Straight A's in everything. That's what happens when you don't have a social life. The lack of friends didn't bother him. He'd actually stopped tagging along with Mabel to see if his 'friends' missed him, they didn't even notice he wasn't there. Dipper was fine. Dipper was actually better then fine. Dipper was feeling the best he had felt in a long time, and it was all because he had a true friend on the other side of the phone.

 

Pacifica on the other hand had been surrounded by 'friends' all year. She didn't really care for them, she acted nice in return to them being nice to her. Pacifica knew that these people just wanted to friends with her because she was rich, pretty and popular. No one knew who she really was, more than just a status symbol. No one except for the boy on the phone.

 

They talked to each other everyday using texts, emails, phone calls and video calls. They discusses everything; how their days were, upcoming plans, Gravity Falls, possible ideas for summer. They had become unable to go a whole day with speaking to each other ever since the bus journey at the end of summer. Dipper had even resorted to using a payphone when he cracked his phone screen and had to get it repaired. Pacifica has become his anchor in the world, Dipper had become her oasis. Both needed the other in a way that they couldn't quite understand or had been able to put into words to each other. But that was okay, they both enjoyed that feeling.

 

After a particularly boring last day of school for Dipper and a day that involved being showered with gifts from her peers for Pacifica, both were video chatting whilst in their rooms.

 

"I can't believe I'm going back home to you guys in Gravity Falls tomorrow! A whole summer of mysteries, friends, you!" Dipper said.

"Dipper Pines, you flatter me" said Pacifica, blushing slightly.

""You know what I mean" Dipper said, "We can hang out all summer. Best friends and stupid, crazy adventures!"

"Best... friends?" Pacifica said in a quiet voice, almost to herself.

Dipper saw that she was surprised. "I'm sorry" Dipper said, "I didn't mean to make it awkward. Look, I don't have many friends in this world and it's totally cool if I'm not your best friend, but that's what you are to me. My best friend".

Tears began to run down Pacifica's face.

"Oh God, I've really messed up. I didn't mean to put you in a weird position. Ignore me if you..."

"Shut up you nerd" Pacifica interrupted, with a chuckle. She wiped her tears away. "I'm not sad, you idiot, I'm happy. I've never had a friend before, let alone a best friend. I didn't want to tell you I feel the same way. Didn't want you feeling awkward either" Pacifica admitted.

Dipper and Pacifica laughed.

"We were made for each other" dipper chuckled. It took a second to realise what he had said before turning bright red. "I mean, we are as bad as each other".

Pacifica's face warmed up to a light pink. "He needs to think before he speaks, he's adorable" Pacifica thought. It made her turn even more red.

"I'm going to go!" Dipper said, "Gotta pack for the trip!".

"Me too!" replied Pacifica, "Gotta brush my hair!"

 

They both ended the call. In their respective bedrooms, they screamed into pillows. Both stewed in their awkwardness but Dipper and Pacifica couldn't escape the fact that they couldn't wait until tomorrow.

 

————————————————————

 

What do you think?

Please read and review, leave feedback, favourite, etc. Do what you like.

 

Another chapter coming soon. 


	3. Chapter 3 - Reunions

The bus pulled into the stop outside the Mystery Shack. It had been a long ride but Dipper and Mabel were ready to see their friends and family again.

Mabel had comprised a list of every summer activity she wanted to do with her friends, there were another on there that she would have to complete 3 a day to keep on schedule.

Dipper didn't have a list. He only really wanted two things, to go on adventures and spend time with Pacifica. He had thought about it for the entire bus ride, from the moment he got on the bus to this very moment, him and Pacifica, taking on the world. Dipper found that the more he thought of Pacifica, the more his heart raced. "Just excitement" thought Dipper.

 

The doors of the bus opened. "Gravity Falls. Last stop, everybody off" called the bus driver. Dipper and Mabel exited the bus, and walked down the path to the Mystery Shack.

"You know" started Dipper, "I would have thought that everyone would have met us at the bus stop. They knew what time we were getting in".

Mabel shrugged, "I guess they got the wrong time. Don't worry about it Bro Bro".

The twins walked up the creaky wooden steps to the Shack. Dipper laughed at the sounds, "I guess some things never changed" he thought.

Mabel pushed on the door which flew open. "We're home!" she yelled at the top of her voice. The room was dark and quiet. Dipper reached for the light switch and flicked it on. A bright light filled the room and a crowd of people jumped out from various hiding spots.

"Surprise!" they shouted. The room was decorated with 'Welcome back!' banners, streamers, balloons, and disco lights.

"A surprise party?!" both Dipper and Mabel screamed with happiness. Everyone in town was there, not surprising as the twins had affected the lives of the locals by saving them from weirdmageddon. Mabel started to tear up.

"You guys..." she said in a shaky voice.

"I can't believe you guys threw us a party" said Dipper, a slight crack in his voice.

"Of course kid, we missed you" said Stan, giving Dipper and Mabel a hug before bringing his voice down, "and I made a killing selling tickets".

"That's our Grunkle Stan" Dipper laughed.

 

The party got into full swing when Soos started spinning the decks. Pop music filled the air causing everyone to break out into dance. Mabel spotted Candy and Grenda and ran over to them, leaving Dipper with Stan and Ford. After a few minutes, Dipper excuses himself to go and talk to others. He hadn't spotted Pacifica when everyone jumped out, and now the party was in full throttle he really wanted to see her. Dipper manoeuvred his way through the crowd saying polite hellos to people, until he was caught on the shoulder by a hand. Dipper turned to see a tall red-headed girl wearing a white and blue cap.

"Wendy!" Said Dipper. He didn't quite know why he was surprised to see her, he thought it may have been because he didn't want to see her. Not after revealing his crush on her at the end of last summer. He thought it would be awkward, but everything seemed to be okay, normal in fact. "How you doing?"

"I'm great Dipper, now you're back" said Wendy, Dipper smiled at the comment, "because I want my hat back". Dipper laughed.

"Sure thing" he said. Wendy swapped the hats around so that they were now with their rightful owners. "How's the town?"

Wendy shrugged, "It's okay I guess. Everything is back to normal, just a few more mythological creatures and junk running around". This peaked Dipper's interest, it was the beginning of the adventure he was looking for, which reminded him that he was trying to find the person he was going to share it with.

"Wendy, have you seen Pacifica?" Dipper said suddenly.

"Sure man" said Wendy, "She's over there". Wendy pointed to the over to the darkest corner of the room. It was barely lit by the party lights, but Dipper could make out the figure of a girl sat on a chair by herself.

"Talk to you later!" Dipper said as he sped off towards Pacifica. Wendy just laughed to herself. "Well I guess he's over his crush on me" she thought.

 

Pacifica was sat alone, far from the dance floor. She had resigned herself to staying out of the way until Dipper and Mabel had seen their family and friends. "It's only right" she thought to herself, "they are family. You can wait your turn, I'm sure they'll find you, right?". Pacifica crunched an empty plastic cup with her hands, nervously running her thumbs over it for comfort, like it was a child's blanket.

"Pacifica, hey!" Said Dipper, running to her and embracing her in a hug. "Oh my god! This is real! Not one of those fake hugs people who are after my money give to seem nice. He genuinely cares..." Pacifica thought, a smile taking over her face. In all the excitement she realise she wasn't returning the hug but it was too late. Dipper let go of Pacifica, his face reddened by embarrassment.

"Sorry. Can I pay you to pretend that never happened?" Dipper said with a cheeky tone to his voice. It was now Pacifica's turn to go red as she blushed remembering that a year ago she had made the same offer to Dipper after a similarly uneasy hug. "I'm kidding. Pacifica, I'm so happy to see you, my best friend" continued Dipper, seeing how awkward she felt.

Pacifica grabbed Dippers waist. "Save your money" she said, "I'm glad you are here".

Dipper and Pacifica sat in that dark little corner of the Mystery Shack talking all night. The party around them seemed to fade away as they discussed plans for the summer and ideas on where to go first and how to go about cataloging various mysteries from the town. The night grew on and as the hours passed guests started to leave until it was just the two of them, Dipper and Pacifica, still talking. Planning the future, together.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Beginning Of The First Day Of Summer

Dipper awoke to the sound of the alarm ringing in his ear, Mabel didn't. She was fast asleep wearing ear muffs specifically to sleep in. She had had the idea when Dipper had told her he was off looking for oddities everyday this summer. Dipper looked around the attic of the shack and smiled. It was dusty, dank and downright dingy but it filled him with happiness to be in the middle of it. "It's great to be back" he thought. Dipper had to admit he was worried at first. At the end of last summer, Stan had given the Mystery Shack over to Soos who was now the manager and owner. This was so Stan and Ford could travel the world and have the adventures they'd always dreamed off. Dipper wasn't sure he would be allowed to visit Gravity Falls with no actual family to stay with but Soos had made it crystal clear that the Mystery Shack was as much the Pines home as it was his. In fact, Stan and Ford were also staying there this summer so not only was the house fuller than ever but everyone was back together.

Dipper pulled himself out of bed and crept through the room, careful not to make Mabel. He made his way to the bathroom and showered and got ready, he didn't know why but he had a great urge to look his best for his adventure with Pacifica today. He put it down to wanting to make a good impression for the first day of summer but something within told him that was completely true. He had already prepared a backpack for the day, so he quickly dressed himself in a pair of black jeans, red tee, and a blue vest. With the addition of his headwear he was ready to go. Dipper looked at his reflection, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be" he thought as he adjusted his trademark blue and white cap. Dipper ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where Stan and Ford were sat eating breakfast, and grabbed an apple of the kitchen table. "Be back later!" He said.

"Dipper my boy, hold up" said Ford from behind a newspaper, Dipper stopped in his tracks, "I have something for you". Ford walked over to the counter and picked up a package wrapped in brown paper. He passed the package to Dipper, who was curious as to what it could be. Dipper wasted no time in guessing and ripped the paper off revealing a burgundy leather-bound journal, sporting a six-fingered hand with the number four at the centre. "This is a journal for you to fill up son, go make some memories" said Ford.

Dipper ran to his uncle and hugged him tight. "I will, thank you!" said Dipper excitedly before running off out the door. Stan looked up at Ford from his bacon and eggs. "You know he's going to be better than you at mystery solving right?" he said. Ford chuckled, "I'm sure he will be".

 

Pacifica was in the lobby of Northwest Mansion, pacing. She was nervous. She didn't normally get nervous. Pacifica was panicking as she had promise to go searching for adventure in the woods with Dipper but she had never actually set foot in them. She was wearing what she thought we be good enough; Camo pants, black shirt, black boots. She looked like an army cadet.

"Calm down, you are a Northwest" said her father, placing a hand on her shoulder and lowering himself to her height, "Northwests can do anything". Pacifica smiled. After Weirdmageddon and going bankrupt, her family had changed a lot, seen how the other half lived, become kinder. Even Old Man McGucket had noticed and gifted their home, Northwest Mansion, back to them saying that all he need was a warm bed. He then subsequently ran off into the forest and hasn't been seen yet. Pacifica stood still and took a deep breath. "He's right. I'm Pacifica Northwest, I've faced a ghost and little golf ball men. Even the end of the freaking world! I've got this" she thought, filling herself with confidence, "Dipper and I are going to be great together". She paused at what she had just thought and blushed heavily. She knew what she meant, she hoped.

 

Dipper made it to Northwest Mansion in ten minutes flat. He was so excited that he realised that he had spaced out for entire journey, his mind filled with possibilities of the day. He rang the antique doorbell and the door opened to reveal Preston and Priscilla Northwest. Their faces were so serious and when they looked at Dipper he felt their eyes bore into his soul.

"Dipper" said Preston, "what are your intentions with our daughter?". Dipper felt beads of sweat gather on his forehead and start to run down his face. He tried to reach for the words but they just weren't there. The tension was the relieved when Priscilla let out a small laugh. "Darling!" said Preston, before bursting into uproarious laughter, "we had him going. You ruined it!".

"Sorry Dear but he looked like he was going to faint" Priscilla said, wiping away tears, "come in Dipper, I apologise for our behaviour but you see, you may be our little Paz's first real friend and we wanted to share a joke to make you feel at home".

Dipper mopped his brow. "Hilarious" he said, forcing a laugh. Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper saw Pacifica standing at the edge of the lobby, half-hiding behind the corner of the wall. Dipper excused himself from Mr and Mrs Northwest and rushed over to Pacifica. "Hi! Ready for today? I've got so much I want to show you. I'm going to ease you in though, nothing too scary. Is that okay?" Dipper asked.

Pacifica felt her fear melt away. "Sounds perfect" she said. Dipper took her by the hand and led her towards the door. "Bye Mother, bye Father!" Pacifica said with a wave as she and Dipper walked through the front door and off down the long driveway to the woods. Priscilla and Preston waved back as the two kids walked off hand in hand in search of fun.

Priscilla smiled. "You know Dear, maybe you were right" she said.

"Hmm" Preston queried, raising an eyebrow.

Priscilla held his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Maybe you were right to ask what Dipper's intentions with our daughter are...".


	5. Chapter 5 - The First Mystery

"Dipper, slow down! We have all day and I'm not sure I can survive being pulled around for that long!" Said Pacifica as Dipper was taking her by the hand and off into the woods. Dipper stopped suddenly and looked at her hand in his. He immediately let go and turned bright red from embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry" he said. "I'm just super excited. I have a new journal to fill up and I already have an idea of a place to take you for your first mystery hunt".

Pacifica smiled, although inside she was slightly saddened that they were no longer holding hands. "It's okay nerd" she said, "so where are we going?".

Dipper returned the smile and turned to point at the peak of a nearby hill. "There" he said. Pacifica's jaw dropped.

"W-what..." she stuttered. "There's no way I can climb that!" She thought, "but... I want to spend time with Dipper and I promised him I'd go, he'd hate me if I said I can't do it...". Pacifica swallowed her fear, "I'm in" she said.

 

After walking a few miles, the two adventurers reached the foot of the hill. Dipper and Pacifica started the climb upward, talking about how they had missed each other and the town, discussing likes and dislikes. Dipper had even discovered that Pacifica had a soft spot for the band Babba, he loved Babba! By the time they reached the summit, they were lost in conversation.

 

At the summit of the hill there a tree. The tree was large and expanded over the entire top of the hill, vines hung down and beautiful pink and white flowers blossomed from them. As Dipper and Pacifica approaches the top of the hill. Dipper stopped the pair from walking.

"Close your eyes" Dipper said.

"Why?" asked Pacifica.

"I have a surprise for you"

"For me?" Pacifica said. Her heart raced.

"Yeah, I thought it would cool" said Dipper.

Pacifica grabbed Dipper's hand and closed her eyes. Dipper led her up to their intended destination and helped her to sit on the floor. After a few minutes, Dipper had prepared the surprise.

"Okay you can look now" he said.

Pacifica opened her eyes and felt a wave of happiness crash over her. In front of her was a picnic blanket with two plates, two glasses, a basket full of food, a large bottle of Pitt Soda, all together with a view of the entire valley of Gravity Falls. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. "Wow" she said. It was all she could say, she was at a loss for words.

"I know. I found this little spot last summer. It's become my place to escape the rest of the world. No one knows I come here, not even Mabel knows about it. No one but me, and now you" said Dipper. Pacifica looked at him. It was clear that this hilltop meant a lot to him and she felt so humbled he would share it with her. "I don't know what to say but thank you" she said, embracing Dipper in a hug, "I never knew nature could be so beautiful". After a few minutes of taking in the majestic view, the two sat down to enjoy their picnic.

 

When finished with the picnic, Pacifica realised that this hadn't been a mystery hunt and decided to ask Dipper about it. "Dipper, where's the mystery today?" she asked, "not that this wasn't amazing but I told you I'd help with monster hunting and you have given me this lovely picnic". Dipper stared towards the bridge.

"Well" he said, "the Mystery was he picnic. It's a gift to you for being my friend". Pacifica looked at him but didn't speak, she could tell he had something important to say. "This past year has been hard on me. I left the place I love the most, and the people I love the most. As I've told you I don't have many friends, they all prefer Mabel being silly to her 'loser' twin's conspiracy theories. There are many, many times I've been alone..." Dipper turned to look at Pacifica, "but I've never felt lonely because I've had you". Pacifica felt her cheeks grow warm, and her face glowed red from blushing. Dipper looked at the floor but kept smiling. "I mean" he said, "you were there for me everyday and I needed it. I know a simple picnic isn't much for a rich girl like you but it's my way of saying thank you". Pacifica stood up and walked over to Dipper, sitting down right beside him. Her face was serious, more serious than Dipper had ever seen it.

"Dipper Pines. This heartfelt gesture of gratitude is worth more to me than any material thing. I may be a rich girl and get showered with gifts from wannabe friends but they don't care. You put effort and thought into this. Those Californians are idiots if they can't see you are someone they need to be friends with. I'm alone too, I may be surrounded by people but they don't care. You care. And I care about you. Bestie" she said with a wink. Dipper and Pacifica stared off into the distance towards the bridge. Pacifica gently rested her head on her friends shoulder.

"Hey.." said Dipper.

"Yeah?"

"See those to large cracks in the sides of both those cliffs?"

"Yeah..."

"Well they were caused by a UFO crashing here millions of years ago. Probably what attracts all the weirdness to this town"

"So this isn't just a quiet spot?" Pacifica said with a smirk.

"It is" said Dipper, "just thought I mention what we are doing tomorrow. Exploring that wreckage. Which reminds me...". Dipper reached into his bag and pulled out the yet to be filled journal number 4. He opened the book to the first page and took out a black pen. He wrote:

 

JOURNAL NUMBER 4 -

THE FINDINGS OF DIPPER PINES AND PACIFICA NORTHWEST

 

Pacifica looked at the writing. "I get credit too?" She asked, a little surprised.

"Of course, we're a team. Partners for life, you and me against the world" Dipper said.

"You and me against the world..." Pacifica repeated, "I like the sound of that...".

 

The two watched in silence as the sun set over the horizon. Tomorrow was going to be fun.


	6. Chapter 6 - Into The Unknown

Dipper and Pacifica stood by the entrance hatch to the spaceship. If you didn't know it was there it would be nearly impossible to see. The entire area was covered in grass, moss, even trees. It looked like a perfectly normal place in the woods. Except it wasn't. Dipper had explained to Pacifica that the previous summer, he and Ford had explored this particular spacecraft looking for alien adhesive. He had also mentioned that he had accidentally set off the alarm systems as the could sense fear, which lead to another crazy adventure. Dipper flipped out his penknife and worked the heavy metal hatch open.

"Right, in we go" he said. Dipper pushed the door all the way open and hopped to the first rung on the ladder down. He held out his hand to Pacifica. "Coming?" he said with a smile. She smiled back.

"Try and stop me" she said, taking his hand.

 

The two climbed down and entered a large, grey room with wires hanging down from the ceiling. Giant blank screens filled the walls with the exception of panels with buttons and switches every so often.

"Oh my God!" said Pacifica, her voice echoing through the cavernous hall. It seemed to go on forever.

"I know" said Dipper, "amazing isn't it?"

"And the alarms aren't working, you definitely disabled them last year?"

"Of course. Well they kind have disarmed themselves and collapsed, looking off to me. So 99% sure. Why are you scared Paz?"

"Paz?" Pacifica laughed, "I'm Pacifica Elise Northwest, you dork. Of course I'm not scared". A metallic clank sounded in the distance startling Pacifica and causing her to grab onto Dipper's arm. He let out a loud laugh.

"That's probably just the metal settling, we did let fresh air in here for the first time in a year. Metal reacts to Oxygen and...". Pacifica covered Dipper's mouth with her hand.

"Just be quiet nerd" she said. She felt a wet sensation on the palm of her hand that was covering Dipper's mouth. "GROSS!" she yelled.

"I learned that one from Mabel" Dipper said, slightly proud of himself but mostly trying to hold in his laughter. Pacifica wipes her hand on his shirt. "You are disgusting!" she said. A small smile spread across her face and she playfully pushed Dipper away.

Dipper started to walk towards a large control panel attached to the biggest screen in the room.

"I've seen symbols like these before in Ford's lab. If I do this..." he said before hitting a series of buttons in a particular order. The screen sprang to life with a bright green light. Information appeared before Dipper and Pacifica. "These are readings" said Dipper.

"Of what?" Said Pacifica.

"Of weirdness, dating back hundreds of years. From when this UFO crashed"

"So this UFO is the source of all the weirdness?" said Pacifica, trying to understand.

"Looks likely, but we are going to have to analyse the data to be sure" Dipper said, "maybe there is a way to print this?". Dipper pressed a button but the information didn't print. A large whirring occurred and a pedestal raised up from the centre of the room. Dipper and Pacifica couldn't look away, for on top of the the pedestal was a glowing cube.

"Dipper, what is that?" asked Pacifica.

"I don't know" he said.

The two moved closer and closer to it.

"We should take it, it could be source of the weird goings-on in this town" he said.

"I don't know Dipper, maybe it's a bad idea..." said Pacifica, putting a hand out to stop him.

"I need to know though" said Dipper as he grabbed the cube. The pedestal started to descend back into the floor. Loud noises and blinding sirens filled the room. The floor started to rumble and a giant panel in a nearby wall opened up. Two sentry robots stepped out, eyes glowing red and pointed towards the two teenagers.

"99% huh?" Pacifica said, fear in her voice.

"Okay, more like 95%" Dipper replied.

"INTRUDER ALERT" the robots stated.

"Okay make that 0%. RUN" Dipper said.

Dipper and Pacifica ran towards the foot of the ladder. Pacifica started to ascend, quickly followed by Dipper until she stopped suddenly.

"Why are you stopping?!" Dipper said, surprised.

"We forgot something" said Pacifica. She leapt off of the ladder and ran back to the screen. One of the robots reached down and grabbed at her but narrowly missed as Pacifica dove through its legs and straight passed him.  She whipped out her camera phone and took a picture of the information on the screen.

"Got it!" she said. She sprinted back around the first sentry, avoiding its grasp. The second one proved more of a challenge. A compartment in its arm opened up and fired a net at her. The net spread out covered a large area while hurtling towards Pacifica. Pacifica jumped as high as she could, only just lifting herself over the net. She sprinted to Dipper and the ladder.

"Let's go" she said to an awe-struck Dipper. The two moved swiftly up to the exit, avoiding the projectiles being fired at them. Once through the hatch, Dipper and Pacifica both slammed it shut.

"That should hold them" Dipper said collapsing onto the door out of exhaustion. Pacifica fell down against him.

"Oh are you 99% sure?" she said in a mocking tone.

Dipper rolled his eyes.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" he said. "Come on, we have to get back to the Shack" he said as he got o his feet. He stretched out a hand to Pacifica to help her up. "You were freaking cool back there"

"Thanks" said Pacifica, blushing.

 

The two started their journey back towards town. They had some work to do.


	7. Chapter 7 - Strange Feelings

After the whole UFO and almost being killed by robots debacle, Dipper and Pacifica agreed that maybe they should have rest at the Mystery Shack for a while, then look into the research and the cube. They had just about reached the door, when the door sprung open as though pushed by some unstoppable force.

 

"DIPPER" Mabel screamed, "Where have you been Bro-Bro? Oh hey Pacifica!".

"Hey" they both replied, a little bit defeated from exhaustion.

"We've been exploring the spaceship, we've got loads of information and..." Dipper started before eating interrupted by Mabel poking his face.

"BOOP. Don't care. Off to take Waddles to see Gompers as they are married and haven't seen each other for like a year. Bye!" She said as she sped off through the door and off into the woods with Waddles in her arms.

"Your sister sure is crazy" said Pacifica, watching the spot where Mabel disappeared.

"Yeah" agreed Dipper, "you got that right".

 

The pair went inside and, after saying hi to Soos, climbed up the creaky wooden floor to the attic. Dipper tasked himself with studying and experimenting on the cube, Pacifica started going through the information in the picture on her phone. Together they were a great team. Dipper couldn't help but notice how good Pacifica was at deciphering the data and he thought back to her risking her life to take a picture of it. "Wow, She sure was amazing back there" Dipper bought to himself, "so brave and beautiful". Dipper paused his train of thought and went red on his cheeks, did he really just think of his best friend as beautiful? A strange feeling came over him, a feeling he remembered too well from last summer. A feeling even stronger than the one he had for Wendy. "Oh crap, I've got a crush on Pacifica!".

 

Pacifica looked up from the notes on her phone and saw Dipper staring at her with a shocked expression spread across his face. His cheeks looked like they were burning. "You okay Dipper?" She asked, placing her hand on his, "You look awfully red, feeling hot?".

"I'm f-fine!" Dipper said, with a crack in his voice. He went back to studying the cube, wiring it up to some kind of electrical device.

 

Pacifica couldn't quite put her finger in it but something was off. She looked at him working and smiled, "He's such a nerd, so cute and adorable though" she thought. She shook her head, she was worried that her feelings were coming back. She had harboured a secret crush on Dipper ever since the party at the mansion and he had saved her life. In that moment, she felt something she had never felt before, loss. He sacrificed himself and it hurt her so much, she had to save him and that's what she did. Of course, Dipper knew she saved him but not how she felt. In fact, the reason that she wrote her number on the goodbye letter was in the hope he would call her. When he said they were best friends she was so happy so she buried the crush she had deep. But the more time she spent with Dipper, the more it grew. "Why do you have to be the way you are?" Pacifica thought, looking at Dipper from the corner of her eye. "You give me some strange feelings Dipper Pines".


	8. Chapter 8 - The End Of Summer

The rest of the summer consisted of the two friends deciphering the information, exploring the forest to fill up their journal and growing closer. Dipper and Pacifica had had adventures and met so many paranormal creatures that Pacifica couldn't believe she had been a part of it. The summer had been like a dream, so unreal that it can't have been true, and yet it was.

 

Dipper and Pacifica had become even more inseparable than before. But both knew that, as most of the summer had passed, they would soon be apart and Dipper would be travelling back to California soon. Pacifica had tried to fight the feelings that she had for Dipper but they had just grown stronger all through the summer. She had made up her mind to tell him how she felt. If only she could actually bring herself to say it out loud. She had worn her favourite outfit, a purple sun dress with small Llama-shaped earrings. Today was the day.

 

"So Dipper?" Said Pacifica, looking at some trinkets in the Mystery Shack gift shop, trying not to make eye contact with him.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking up at her from his journal.

"I was just thinking that, um" she said, her nerves getting the best of her, "we only have a short time left together".

Dipper frowned. "I know" he said, "I hate that I'll be gone soon".

Pacifica swallowed heavily. "So instead of mystery stuff today, can we just do normal teenage things? There's a movie I've wanted to see all Summer, we could grab some dinner afterwards. My treat". "Perfect" Pacifica thought, "it'll be romantic and at the end I'll tell him how I feel".

"Sounds fun, we could use a break from all this stuff. Let's go now" Dipper said, standing up from the counter. Pacifica acted calm but inside her heart was doing backflips. They both walked out the door and off towards town.

 

The cinema was a dilapidated old building, Dipper was surprised it was still standing to be honest. It had definitely seen better days. Pacifica had chosen a romantic comedy for them to watch which Dipper was unsure about until he saw that it was a musical based on the music of Babba, a band he loved. The two went into the cinema, Dipper purchased two tickets and popcorn as he said it was only fair as Pacifica had offered to pay for dinner. They went into the screen and chose seats right in the middle. Dipper and Pacifica were surprised to find that they were the only two watching the movie, but came to the conclusion that people must have came to watch it when it was first out and that they were just late to the party. The film started and the two began to watch, singing along to the music as there was no one to judge them. They threw popcorn at each other and acted like kids for the first time in what seemed like forever.

 

As the credits rolled, Pacifica and Dipper both reached for the last of the popcorn, their hands meeting in the box. Pacifica quickly took her hand away, and went bright red. Dipper hadn't noticed her going red but did help himself to the end of the popcorn. Pacifica composed herself and suggested that they leave for dinner. They both left the cinema and strolled down the road towards the mall, discussing the movie as they walked.

 

Once in the Gravity Falls Mall, the two found a quiet little Italian restaurant. Luckily for the friends, the Northwest has a table booked in every restaurant every night, just in case they decided to eat out. Pacifica and Dipper sat down at a candlelit booth and picked up a menu.

"Pacifica, this is the fanciest place I've ever been too, except your house. I have no idea how to act" said Dipper, slightly worried.

Pacifica smiled at him. "Just be yourself, it's what I like about you" she said. Again, going bright red as she realised what she said. She knew she couldn't bottle her feelings up forever and that after dinner they should take a walk in the moonlight and she can finally admit her feelings. Dipper smiled at what Pacifica said, "that's why I like you too" he replied.

During dinner, the two talked about the adventures they had had this summer and how much they were going to miss not having each other around. Soon the food was gone and the bill was paid, Pacifica knew this was her chance to ask Dipper if he wanted to go for a walk. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Dipper beat her to it.

"Pacifica, can we go for a walk somewhere? I need to tell you something and I think it might be nice to walk somewhere to tell you" he said. He seemed nervous to Pacifica. "Oh my god, does he like me too and is going to tell me?!" She thought. Her heart raced but she tried to respond as nonchalantly as possible. "Sure".

 

As they walked, the street was bathed in moonlight. There was hardly anyone else around. Pacifica fought the urge to reach out and hold Dippers hand, she wanted to make sure he made the first move if he was going to tell her how he felt. They soon found themselves at the lake, they both sat on the end of the dock and looked at the reflection of the moon in the lake.

"Pacifica" Dipper said, "I've got something to tell you. Something I've been meaning to tell you for a while actually, I just didn't know how. I didn't know how you would react when I told you". Dipper was sweating, he eye contact was all over the place, everywhere except for Pacifica. She reached out her hand and put it on top of his hand. "You can tell me anything" she reassured him. Her pulse quickened, she felt a wave of happiness crash over her. This was it. The moment that they would remember forever.

"Pacifica, I..."

"Yes Dipper?"

"I... I'm going back to California tomorrow" he said in a small voice.

"What?!" Pacifica half-shouted, surprises with what she was hearing. Her heart broke into a million pieces.

"My parents called a few weeks back and wanted us home early so we aren't here to the very end of summer. I didn't want to tell you and ruin the fun we were having" he said.

Tears began to roll down Pacifica's face.

"I'll be here next summer though" said Dipper, trying to brighten the mood. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Pacifica. She batted his hand away and stood up in one quick movement.

"Dipper Pines, you are an idiot!" She yelled, she turned to storm off.

"Wait" he said, grabbing her hand, "I know I should have told you but I didn't want to upset you".

"It's not that. How can you be so stupid for someone so smart?" Pacifica said through tears.

"I don't understand" he said.

"The movie, the dinner, the moonlit walk" said Pacifica, finding her courage, "I thought...".

"Thought what?" Dipper said, genuinely confused.

Pacifica growled and stomped towards Dipper who flinched. He was pretty sure he was about to be slapped when he felt something press against his lips. He opened his eyes to find Pacifica was kissing him. He relaxed into it and the feeling was magical. He immediately knew he was an idiot and his feelings about Pacifica became clear, he liked her, maybe even more than just liking her. Could this be...

 

Pacifica pulled away, shocked at her actions. She stared at Dipper for a second before running away, into the woods.

"Wait!" Dipper called out, but it was no use. She was gone.

 

The next morning, Dipper and Mabel were packed and at the bus stop saying goodbye to friends and family. While Mabel was crying in the arms of Grenda and Candy, Dipper just said nothing and climbed onto the bus. Pacifica hadn't come to say goodbye. He had called and texted a thousand times but with no reply. As he sat on the grubby old back seat of the bus, he pulled his hat over his face and sighed. The seat bounced as Mabel sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What's yo Bro?" She asked.

"I really thought she'd come Mabel, I messed everything up".


	9. Chapter 9 - A Silent School Year

632 unanswered texts

 

209 missed calls

 

97 emails with no response.

 

Dipper sat at the desk in his room, staring at his phone as if he expected it to burst into flames. He sighed and hit his head on the desk out of frustration. It was the end of school and tomorrow he was heading back to Gravity Falls. If you had told him this the previous year, Dipper would have lost his mind with excitement but now he was dreading it. Pacifica was ignoring him, Dipper knew it was his fault. How could he be so stupid as to not see what was right in front of him. He was all books and cleverness but couldn't figure out his own feelings or the feelings of his best friend. Now it was too late. No response to any form of contact he had tried. Dipper walked over to his bed and threw himself back on it. He covered his face with his hands and screamed. "What am I going to do?" He thought.

 

In Gravity Falls, Pacifica sat on her king size bed and cuddled one of her favourite stuffed toys, a duck/panda hybrid, she was also staring at her phone. She had read every text and every email that Dipper had said. She was adamant that she wasn't going to respond but every fibre of her being was telling her to text him. She was angry he hadn't told her he was leaving early, she was angry that he didn't realise how she felt, but most of all she was angry at herself for not saying goodbye to him. She still had really strong feelings for the guy, she shouldn't have been so heartless. All of Dippers texts and emails were the same. A brief description of how school was going or what he was doing and then the same four words. The four words that no one ever wants to hear:

 

We need to talk.

 

Pacifica lay back on bed and squeezed her toy. "He's coming back tomorrow" she thought, "what am I going to do?".


	10. Chapter 10 - Realignment

Once they had braved the trip on the rickety but trusty Speedy Beaver bus, the twins were in Gravity Falls once more. No surprise party this time, just a humble gathering of family and close friends with the exception of one particular missing guest. Dipper excused himself from he group and walked out of the Mystery Shack. He made his way towards the Northwest's Mansion, his mind reeling with hypothetical situations of how the conversation was going to go. He had been dreading this moment for almost a year, he expected the worst. As Dipper approached the fancy bronze front door, he gulped down his fear and knocked.

 

The door slid open to reveal Preston Northwest on the other side.

"I expected you boy" he said in a serious tone, "I think we had a talk, don't you? Follow me to my study".

"Yes sir" was all Dipper could say. As he followed Mr Northwest he looked around. He couldn't see Pacifica anywhere, he thought that she must be trying to avoid him. Preston opened the door to his study to reveal a large red room with a wooden desk and two chairs in the centre. Decorating the walls were the heads of several animals and a variety of guns.

"Sit" said Preston. Dipper didn't argue and did as he was told. "As I understand it" started Preston, "you and my daughter had a big argument last summer. She returned here very upset, crying her heart out and it continued that way for weeks". Dipper threw his head into his hands. He felt awful that he had made Pacifica feel that way. "Furthermore, although she has not told me herself but she told her mother who has relayed it to me, she has strong feelings for you boy", Preston stood up from his chair and casually took a hunting rifle off the wall. Dipper started to sweat bullets.

"I would do anything to make my daughter happy Dipper" Preston said while adjusting the sight of the gun, "ANYTHING. Do you understand?". Dipper tried to reply but all that came out of his mouth was a weak yelp. "That is why" Preston stated firmly, "I have called you into my study".

Dipper closed his eyes tight, he was almost certain he was about to die. "Great, I'm going to be shot and I haven't even told Pacifica how I feel" he thought.

 

A hand fell onto Dippers shoulder. Dipper shrieked with fear and jumped into the air.

"Calm down lad" said Preston, "I'm giving you advice".

Dipper blinked at him. "Advice?" He asked.

Preston sat back in his chair, "Yes" he said, "Pacifica may come off all confident and together but she is jut a scared little girl right now. She clearly likes you Dipper, she's been beating herself about not saying goodbye to you all summer. She's worried you hate her. I told her you wouldn't but I'm just her dad, she doesn't believe me. Go up to her room and cheer her up would you?". Dipper's jaw dropped.

"She thinks I'm upset? I thought I upset her!" He said in disbelief, partly to his crush's father, partly to himself. "Thanks Mr Northwest. Um... why are you holding that gun?".

Preston looked at the rifle in his hands and laughed. "I just like it, it's pretty cool huh?" He said. Dipper nodded and stood up off his chair, turning to leave the study and head to Pacifica's room. "Dipper" said Mr Northwest.

"Yes" Dipper replied.

"It can also kill a man from 300ft. Just so you know" said Mr Northwest with an unblinking gaze.

Dipper laughed uncomfortably and backed out of the room slowly. He never wanted to upset Pacifica again.

 

Pacifica sat the window and looked out towards the Mystery Shack. "Dipper is probably there by now, should I go?" She thought. She was about to reach for her phone when there was a knock at the door. "Yes?" She asked, thinking it was one of the butlers or maids. She walked over and opened the door, only to find a skinny, browned hair nerd who was the last person she wanted to see right now. "Dipper!" Pacifica said in surprise. She immediately blushed a bright red and looked down at the floor, averting eye contact.

Dipper hugged her as tight as he could. "Pacifica!" He said, "I've missed you so much. When you didn't answer any of my calls or messages, I thought you must hate me. Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth about me leaving, I'm sorry I couldn't see your feelings,  but mostly I'm sorry that I let the best thing in my life run away from me that night. That kiss made me realise that I like you Pacifica. I like you more than I've ever liked anyone before. Please forgive me...".

Pacifica was dumbfounded by his words but hugged him back even tighter. "I... I thought I screwed things up. I didn't come to say goodbye. I didn't tell you how I felt until it was too late. When you said 'we need to talk' in your messages, I thought you were going to tell me to get out of your life" she said. Dipper pulled his head back to look into her deep blue eyes.

"Nothing you could do to me would screw things up. You are a huge part of my life and yes, we needed to talk, but only about us. I want to be with you. I know it's cheesy but I want you to be my girlfriend". Pacifica couldn't believe it. Ten minutes ago she wasn't sure if she would ever see Dipper again, now he was asking her out. Tears filled her eyes as they embraced again. "Yes you dummy!" She said.

 

The hug went on for what seemed like forever and a second all at once. When they finally broke away, Dipper went red. "So about our first kiss?" He said, "can we try it again?". Before he could say anything else, Pacifica leapt at him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a passionate meeting of their lips. He put his arms around her waist.

 

"This is how it should have always been" Dipper thought, "everything is the way it's meant to be".


End file.
